Therapeutic hypothermia - the cooling of the body for therapeutic purposes - is a medical practice that has been around, in one form or another, since ancient times.

Hi Folks

The practice of old water immersion (CWI) for health and vitality dates as far back as 3500BC with the Edwin Smith Papyrus making numerous references to cold being used for therapeutic purposes. Attempts to use cold water to treat people with mental health issues were consistent until the turn of the 20th century.

Cold water Immersion techniques for post-exercise recovery and wild water swimming for health and wellbeing are now common practice amongst elite athletes and the general public.

Understandably there are a number of clinical studies and scholary articles available showing the benefits or not of the CWI technique. One such study concluded the following “The physiological benefits of CWI reported to date include improved recovery of exercise performance and reduced muscle soreness. However, many studies have reported CWI to have no influence on the recovery of exercise performance or in reducing edema (swelling/inflammation) and muscle soreness. Other recovery techniques, such as massage, have been reported to improve recovery via psychophysiological mechanisms that include decreased sensation of pain and fatigue. CWI has been shown to enhance feelings of recovery and reduce perceptions of fatigue and muscle soreness”.

So the jury is still out to whether CWI has physiological benefits or purely psychosomatic ones. And certainly if your goals are strength or muscle building (hypertrophy) CWI inhibits the bodies initial adaptations to these training stimuli so should be avoided until 4 hours post workout.

The fabled post cold water swim high is a real thing, as the mix of exercise and cold water exposure triggers a release of dopamine and adrenaline which both serve to increase motivation, drive, mental clarity and the sense of well-being.

Both cold water protocols should be researched beforehand, if practicing CWI consult with a doctor first and if wild swimming safety precautions such as going as part of a group should be considered. Alternatively turn your shower really cold for as long as you can stand it.

Enjoy.